Author Archives: urbangraffito

About urbangraffito

Writer, editor, publisher, philosopher, foole.

Baby Your Face Is Mutated

The Tubes are a San Francisco-based theatre rock band founded in the early 1970s and known for their live performances which combined lewd quasi-pornography and wild satires of media, showbiz excess, consumerism and politics. Influenced by the Mothers of Invention … Continue reading

Posted in Amusing, Frank Zappa, Music, Zappa Misc | Tagged , , , , , | 29 Comments

First Church of Zuppuology

R. Gayle Shiester: Welcome to the First Church of Zuppuology! Don’t you be Tarot-fied We are here to help you fill the cultural vacuum Don’t you be Tarot-fied Just pay your dues to the estate of the founder FRONK ZUPPU!!! … Continue reading

Posted in Amusing, Bizarre, Delicious Links, Frank Zappa, It Can Happen Here?, Religion, Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Year of the Freak: February (the weesa)

In honor of that special individual who has stuck by the freak through the long years of freakdom — be it a friend, a girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, mate, ex-wife or ex-husband (hey, you can’t expect everyone to stick around: twenty … Continue reading

Posted in Amusing, Frank Zappa, Personal, Zappa Audio/Video | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Year of the Freak: January (the rat)

In honor of our friendly neighborhood webmaster, Barry, and due to unfortunate circumstances beyond his control whereby the discography section can no longer post images of a thumbnail nature, I post the above. Hey, any excuse for a guitar solo … Continue reading

Posted in Amusing, Frank Zappa, Zappa Audio/Video | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

So Dangerous to Society at Large

This is URBANGRAFFITO . . . it is my responsibility to research all the laws that haven’t been passed yet. It is also my responsibility to alert each and every one of you to the potential consequences of various ordinary … Continue reading

Posted in Frank Zappa | Tagged , , , | 23 Comments

On Being A Zappa Completist

So you’ve bought the entire “official” catalogue (and in the case of some of us more silver-tinged freaks, more than once, and in many different formats: vinyl, cassette, compact disc), what do you do now? Just sit back and listen … Continue reading

Posted in Frank Zappa, Personal, Zappa Misc | Tagged , , | 27 Comments

Homage to a Freak

I first met Royce in the summer of 1977 at a second-hand record shop. Greg, the gray haired, pony-tailed, slightly obese proprietor had just gotten a mint vinyl copy of Mothermania, and had absent-mindedly promised it to both of us. … Continue reading

Posted in Frank Zappa, Personal, Zappa Misc | Tagged , , , , , , | 47 Comments

Zappa Legacy

With all the verbose verbiage over the Zappa legacy lately, I found the posting “on pop 13: mike keneally & the zappa legacy” over at Eugene Baak’s weblog, Another Beautiful Day, quite insightful.

Posted in Amusing, Frank Zappa, Zappa Misc | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Howard Kaylan Interview

When Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman joined the Mothers, they were used to being judged by the last record they made. “That’s bullshit!” Frank said. “Your life is your artistic canvas…” Hear more about this, as well as more on … Continue reading

Posted in Amusing, Randamonium, Zappa Misc | Tagged , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

New FZ @ Wolfgang’s Vault

The Friday Boots may be history, but Wolfgang’s Vault still has concerts and interviews aplenty. tip of the hat to hipbone

Posted in Frank Zappa, Zappa Audio/Video | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

Favorite Obdew’l X Story — Buns & Blues

One of my all time favorite Obdew’l X stories is of a young Obdew’l X and Don Van Vliet sitting around Don’s house after school listening to the music that would be such a large part of both mens’ careers. … Continue reading

Posted in Obdew'l X, Personal | Tagged , , , , | 19 Comments

From Counterculture to Consumer Culture

As early as the 1960s, Frank Zappa already knew that to get to the “real” truth one had to go to the underground, because the mainstream was just out to sell you something you probably didn’t need in the first … Continue reading

Posted in Frank Zappa | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

Burnt Weeny Sandwich, 1969

This document of the original Mothers of Invention, mostly set to the music from Uncle Meat (with the exception of “The Theme from Burnt Weeny Sandwich” from Burnt Weeny Sandwich), originally broadcast on April 30th, 1969, as part of The … Continue reading

Posted in Frank Zappa | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Edmonton Eargasmic Extravaganza: ZPZ Plays The Big Empty

Dweezil and Company finished the North American leg of their tour in Edmonton last night to a small yet appreciative audience of diehard Zappa freaks (some of which who, by the way, have waited since 1971 for this chance to … Continue reading

Posted in Frank Zappa | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Zappa Coverbands on MySpace

Directly from Michigan, U.S.A. is Mokum and Yooper with their unique cover of “Directly From My Heart To You.” And from Pavia, Italy, is the tribute band MN e i CONTENUTI with covers of “The Grand Wazoo,” “Dirty Love,” “Eat … Continue reading

Posted in Frank Zappa | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments